Vanessa German is a multidisciplinary artist based in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. She is the founder of Love Front Porch and ARThouse, a community arts initiative for the children of her neighborhood. German’s work, which she terms “power figures,” is rooted in spirituality and ritual, most notably the central African tradition of nkisi nkondi or minkisi figures, characterized by protrusions of nails, signifying awakening and healing. Drawing on her experience living in Homewood, the historic African American neighborhood in Pittsburgh, German sees herself as a citizen artist and activist and creates her work in response to the ricochet of systemic, institutionalized racism, violence, and brutality facing her community.